2476 replies to this topic

[Foogoo]

Largest flight I ever seen on the night of July 23 up near Lone Pine. There was easily 10,000+ Crematogaster queens and a few possible V. lariversi. Hard to see in the picture but I must have been in the middle of their lek and the ground was carpeted with males, dead after doing the only thing they're good for. Pogonomyrmex were having a feast!

 

[PTAntFan]

Wow.  What were conditions like 0-48 hrs prior to the flight?

[Foogoo]

PTAntFan, on 25 Jul 2019 - 6:17 PM, said:

Wow.  What were conditions like 0-48 hrs prior to the flight?

The day before was overcast with a bit of drizzle, big change from being 100+ all week.

[mbullock42086]

y'all should def return to 29 palms today

  there was a truly massive storm that soaked the area allllll night long i was there til 3 am, no flights but obviously because they've been hammered with intense rain two days in a row

[ariaant]

I plan on going to 29 palms on Friday (can't go earlier due to work).  I hope everything has not already flown!

[BADANT]

ariaant, on 22 Jul 2019 - 10:36 PM, said:

The area around josha tree and 29 palms might be even more promising, it got 1.4 inches of rain over there (so far). I wonder if its better to go later this week as the forecast states that it might rain for the next three days (ending Wed or Thursday). Anyone going out today or tomorrow?

Twentynine Palms is where I caught C. fragilis two nights ago


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[dspdrew]

Lots of flights happened in the Twentynine Palms/Joshua Tree area. Also Landers and Lucerne Valley had a few good spots. Landers happened to get rain Wednesday, unlike the other spots that got rain Tuesday, and M. mexicanus flew that night. It was nice not having to do any digging, and the temperatures there early in the morning were in the low 70's; it felt sooo nice.

 

I know a few people were out there. Did anyone else find any Pheidole desertorum? I found one. The spot in Landers had lots of Camponotus semitestaceus running around too. Some of them even dug chambers that looked just like M. mexicanus chambers. One other thing we saw were some black and red colored alates flying in the morning that looked like a large species of Pheidole.

 

Oh I also found my wash.

 

[dspdrew]

Novomessor cockerelli flew in the area between Goffs and Fenner Wednesday or Thursday night. I'm still not sure which night they flew, but nurbs and I found some Thursday night.

 

It also had just poured about 3 inches of rain a little earlier along the 95 between Goffs Road and the 40 freeway. I checked that area, but it was drenched, so most likely there were lots of Novomessor flying there Friday night. It's possible there could still be some running around there tonight too. I also found a couple Camponotus fragilis while I was there.

[B_rad0806]

better start investing on that wash Drew

[YsTheAnt]

I found two P. desertorum out near 29 Palms.

[BADANT]

I went back out to Twentynine Palms as well, caught a couple more C. fragilis and noticed that 4/6 that I caught Tuesday have eggs. Caught a half a dozen more S. xyloni, and what looks like 3 new species for me. Yeah folks, some Id requests on the way. I'll try to write them up well, so that they are quick. Thank you

[nurbs]

Found Aphaenogaster megommata in Landers, same spot with all the Mexicanus. This is a first for the CA antkeeping community. They look cool, like mini yellow Novomessors.

 

 

 

[dspdrew]

nurbs, on 27 Jul 2019 - 11:56 PM, said:

Found Aphaenogaster megommata in Landers, same spot with all the Mexicanus. This is a first for the CA antkeeping community. They look cool, like mini yellow Novomessors.

 

Is there a mite on its left leg?

[ariaant]

Hello all,  was looking at the weather forecast and saw that there might be some potential rain for the deserts this Wednesday and possibly Thursday.   Given the recent rain last week, you think there's any chance C. fragilis or Novomessor might fly again if any of the desert areas gets a significant amount of rain (2inches+)?  Or do you think the season is pretty much done and they have all flown in the areas that got rain last week?  Thanks.  

[gcsnelling]

 

I know a few people were out there. Did anyone else find any Pheidole desertorum? I found one. The spot in Landers had lots of Camponotus semitestaceus running around too. Some of them even dug chambers that looked just like M. mexicanus chambers. One other thing we saw were some black and red colored alates flying in the morning that looked like a large species of Pheidole.

 

Oh I also found my wash.

 

Pheidole barbata is fairly common out in the Landers area.

[AntsCalifornia]

ariaant, on 29 Jul 2019 - 10:33 PM, said:

Hello all,  was looking at the weather forecast and saw that there might be some potential rain for the deserts this Wednesday and possibly Thursday.   Given the recent rain last week, you think there's any chance C. fragilis or Novomessor might fly again if any of the desert areas gets a significant amount of rain (2inches+)?  Or do you think the season is pretty much done and they have all flown in the areas that got rain last week?  Thanks.  

Only some of the desert got decent rain last time (29 Palms), if it were to rain 2+in anywhere else, there should also be major flights. Not a pro, but I'm 99% sure that's how it works based on what I've read in these forums. I'm waiting for rain near me as my parents said over an hour drive is too much, I'm hoping Victorville area gets rain. Dissapointed I missed all the cool ants at 29 Palms, so many interesting colonies I could've had...

[wrestlerbill89]

same here....live on the border between victorville and Apple valley. I'm hoping for closer rains. but I've pulled solenopsis xioloni queens out of the pool for the last 5 nights in a row.

[dspdrew]

gcsnelling, on 29 Jul 2019 - 11:06 PM, said:

 

 

I know a few people were out there. Did anyone else find any Pheidole desertorum? I found one. The spot in Landers had lots of Camponotus semitestaceus running around too. Some of them even dug chambers that looked just like M. mexicanus chambers. One other thing we saw were some black and red colored alates flying in the morning that looked like a large species of Pheidole.

 

Oh I also found my wash.

 

Pheidole barbata is fairly common out in the Landers area.

 

 

Yeah I find those a lot, but always super early in the year, like February and March. These red and black ones looked like something from the fallax group. I have an alate that ended up dying, so I should be able to ID it when I find the time. Most likely it will probably still be sitting in alcohol 3 years from now though haha.

[AntPhycho]

ariaant, on 29 Jul 2019 - 10:33 PM, said:

Hello all,  was looking at the weather forecast and saw that there might be some potential rain for the deserts this Wednesday and possibly Thursday.   Given the recent rain last week, you think there's any chance C. fragilis or Novomessor might fly again if any of the desert areas gets a significant amount of rain (2inches+)?  Or do you think the season is pretty much done and they have all flown in the areas that got rain last week?  Thanks.  

Where do you think the bulk of this rain will be?

[ariaant]

AntPhycho, on 30 Jul 2019 - 11:31 PM, said:

 

ariaant, on 29 Jul 2019 - 10:33 PM, said:

Hello all,  was looking at the weather forecast and saw that there might be some potential rain for the deserts this Wednesday and possibly Thursday.   Given the recent rain last week, you think there's any chance C. fragilis or Novomessor might fly again if any of the desert areas gets a significant amount of rain (2inches+)?  Or do you think the season is pretty much done and they have all flown in the areas that got rain last week?  Thanks.  

Where do you think the bulk of this rain will be?

 

I was looking at the ABC 7 day forecast and weather.com for specific locations people have seen my target ants at; however over the last 2 or so days the forecasts have minimized the chance of rain at both sites.  So i don't think its gonna happen.

Edited by ariaant, July 30 2019 - 6:49 PM.